Why Women Own Plenty Shoes – Is it For Fashion Or An Obsession?

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Did you know when a reputed online shoe store hosts a Christian Louboutin flash sale, a pair of shoes gets sold every 9 seconds? Yes, it’s true and all of their collections get sold out within a couple of hours.

Such kind of rapacious shopping mania is usually common when it comes to shoe shopping by women. I’ve already discussed about women’s obsession with footwear in Part 1; in this edition I’ll do some R&D and try finding out the real reason behind this craze.

One of leading footwear brands’ CEO reasons, “It’s the fastest shopping we see. Women really do sit on their computers and have insane trigger fingers when it comes to shoes.”

Women’s obsession with shoes – this eternal debate has finally triggered movie makers to release a first-ever documentary, God Save My Shoes, which explores why women are so addicted to shoes. The intimate relationship between a woman and a pair of heels has finally forced film makers to make a movie on this.

Here’s a snippet from rottentomatoes on this movie,

To understand why shoes are the most addictive and seductive fashion accessory, God Save my Shoes journeyed into women’s psyches and closets, examining the psychological, sociocultural, and erotic significance of shoes. The quest to decipher why shoes trigger such passion among most women (and quite a few men) took the production to New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Toronto, Milan, and Florence to interview all those who play a role in the global shoe phenomenon: extreme shoe-lovers and everyday women, fashion historians and editors, psychologists, sex experts, as well as shoe fetishists..

Since we’re discussing on women’s love for their heels, we would surely like to share some facts and figures as well.

Jessica Alba’s crazy shoe collection

Women’s foot wears account for 60% of the $40 billion worth of shoes being sold in the U.S. every year, whilst men’s and kid’s purchases do not even touch the half of this price. Interestingly, many of the shoes women buy are totally impractical and uncomfortable.

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Again, I have come back to my enduring question – why do we buy it? What is there so great about shoes? And for God’s sake can someone explain why a movie has been made on it? Is collecting shoes such a big deal?

May be yes. Continue reading to get all of these answers!

Why a movie exclusively on shoes?

When the same question was put before the movie’s director, Julie Benasra, she reasoned that it wasn’t her idea initially. When she was making a documentary on sneakers, she came across some women with their crazy shoe collections – this triggered her with the idea of making her next movie on women’s love for shoes.

She further adds that a pair of shoes has so many layers: the pop culture, the sociological aspect and the psychological aspect. In 50’s when stilettos were invented, Playboy also happened. Whether a woman can afford a  $800 Christian Louoboutin shoes or street market local made pair; the emotion, the  obsession will always be the same.

Why do women prefer heels?

The director had spent 3-4 hours at the the Bata shoe museum in Toronto to get some information for her movie. She found a 54-cm pair of heels, The Chopines, which were worn by the royal women during 14th century. She feels that women prefer heels because they feel sexy and empowered.